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Human rights policy at regional level: examples of good practice in Europe

Human rights policy at regional level: examples of good practice in Europe[27/03/2014]

During a debate in the Chamber of Regions on 26 March 2014, the Congress members considered three examples of human rights policies implemented in Europe. The Charter for Living Together, presented by the Minister for Finance, Women and Integration in the Regional Government of Styria, Bettina Vollath, is a binding text which requires all administrative departments to establish partnerships between local authorities, NGOs and citizens. The Chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission, Alan Miller, presented the Congress with a road map based on the involvement of a broad range of public bodies and associations at infra-state level in the implementation of human rights in all spheres of life. The Catalan Ombudsman, Rafael Ribó Massó, highlighted the importance of the independent institution of the ombudsman, who acted as a human rights advocate vis-à-vis the actions of the authorities. “In the light of the shared responsibility of member states and their infra-state structures, regional authorities must implement practical measures to foster the protection of rights at regional level”, said Leen Verbeek (Netherlands, SOC) in his conclusions.